Jennifer Lopez Remembers the Uncomfortable Casting Call That Tested Her

At this point, it can feel like we’ve heard every single celebrity’s #MeToo story, because that’s how many of them have already been told. But there are still more, and women are still finding the strength and power to speak up.

“I haven’t been abused in the way some women have. But have I been told by a director to take off my shirt and show my boobs? Yes, I have,” she says in the new issue. “But did I do it? No, I did not.”

Lopez did not name the director, but she did say his behavior made her extremely uncomfortable. “When I did speak up, I was terrified. I remember my heart beating out of my chest, thinking, ‘What did I do? This man is hiring me!’ It was one of my first movies,” she said. “But in my mind I knew the behavior wasn’t right. It could have gone either way for me. But I think ultimately the Bronx in me was like, ‘Nah, we’re not having it.'”

Lopez is lucky to have made it through that frightening situation without any further harassment — or, at least, she’s not telling us if there were any repercussions. She also didn’t say whether she got the job after she turned down the director’s inappropriate request.

“I’m not one of those media darlings,” she added. “I didn’t get kissed into this business. I’m from the Bronx. I had to find my way, so I’ve always felt like I had to prove myself. Maybe that’s a good drive to have. I never settle for mediocre.”

Thankfully, Lopez didn’t feel like she had to prove herself by giving into that director’s harassment. And adding her story to the flood of other stories will only make it harder for powerful men to continue to act that way.